Quarry Products

Next year's European Minerals Day promises to be even more successful than the inaugural event in 2007, reports Lisa Russell. Quarries across Europe will join forces next spring to tell people about their work and their role in promoting biodiversity through specially arranged events held across the region at the same time. Guided tours, equipment demonstrations and nature projects will be among the hundreds of activities organised as part of an international initiative, European Minerals Day (EMD), which a

Demand for high quality aggregates for road repairs is driving up demand for rail haulage form Welsh quarries, according to haulier DBS. The company has said that the first half of 2010 has been very busy with extra trains being run to take aggregate from Tarmac's Dolyhir Quarry in Powys and artificial aggregate produced at Tarmac's Margam steel works to its new East London terminus in February and March. Aggregate Industries’ train provider Freightliner also reported an upsurge in traffic.

Anglo American and Lafarge have signed an agreement that will see their UK operations merged into one business. Under the deal their cement, aggregates, ready-mixed concrete, asphalt and contracting businesses in the UK, comprising Tarmac, Lafarge Cement UK, and Lafarge Aggregates and Concrete UK. The companies will form 50:50 joint venture which will be the UK’s largest construction materials with combined sales in 2010 of £1.8billion. The companies have said that the merger will create synergies of around

French construction materials company Lafarge has merged its Central European cement activities with Strabag, a leading Central and Eastern Europe construction group. The activity will be managed by the newly created Lafarge Cement CE Holding with headquarters in Austria and an annual production capacity of 4.8million tonnes. Lafarge will hold 70% of the new company and Strabag will hold 30%. With this new operation, Lafarge will see its debt reduced by E7.5million. Strabag will contribute cement from its w

Spanish fast-drying cement and dry mortar producer, Propamsa, has acquired Spanish chemical products company Betec, for an undisclosed amount. This will allow Propamsa to offer a wider range of high performance mortar and auxiliary products for concrete repairs as Betec is a specialist in these products. Propamsa generated revenues of €48.95million and a net profit of €3.4million in 2008.

The Egyptian state is considering imposing a 5% tax on cement sales, instead of the present taxes of €0.28 per tonne. The proposed tax comes at a time of growing deficit in the country. Italy-based Italcementi, which owns Ciments Français (together holding 30% of the market); French cement companies Lafarge (20%) and Cemex (10%), and the Greek group Titan (15%) would be the companies most affected by the taxes, say sources. The Egyptian government is also considering eventually raising the tax from 5 to 10%

Cement is used in every aspect of construction from roads to housing. European companies operating in this capital intensive sector are also a force to be reckoned with globally. Alan Peterson reports. An important product of a quarry operation, cement plays a pivotal role in every aspect of building and civil engineering - from housing to road construction. Cement is not so much a star in its own right as a strong supporting act to concrete, the most universal of all construction materials.

Russian sunflower oil producer Solntsedar-Don (South) has diversified its business, and started crushed stone production. The first facility with the annual capacity of 1.32million tonnes of crushed stone for road construction and concrete production has been launched in the Rostov region. The plant is situated on a 50 hectare land plot. Investments reportedly totalled€11.80million, and the project was financed by the bank Vozrozhdenie. Previously Solntsedar-Don produced 500,000 bottles of sunflower oil pe

Investment in crushing and screening equipment is helping one Irish quarry operator make the most of its decorative deposit. Demand for high quality paving products has helped boost the fortunes of Donegal-based Muckish Sand & Gravel and the company has invested in equipment to keep pace. The family-owned Irish quarry operator uses a fleet of six Fintec machines and a Sandvik crusher at the Fallay site. The company processes the crushed and screened material to produce a number of aggregate products from th